By: Abner Wanggai) *
Earth of Paradise is rich in stunning natural beauty. The government has made Papua even more beautiful by building infrastructure, such as the Youtefa bridge and the Trans Papua road. The community really appreciates the development there, because the Cendrawasih Earth is more advanced and well organized.
In the past, when I heard the word Papua or Irian Jaya (the name of the area in the New Order era), what was imagined was an area filled with wilderness. However, currently the situation is very different, because the Earth of Cendrawasih is modern and beautiful. Even Jayapura is no less advanced than other cities such as Jakarta and Surabaya.
The modernity that exists in Papua is the result of hard work by the government in developing the area. Since 2001, there has been a special autonomy program that has made the face of the Earth of Cendrawasih even more beautiful, thanks to the infrastructure development there. Youtefa Bridge, Trans Papua Street, Sentani International Airport, and other buildings were built.
Yane Ansanay, an academic from Cendrawasih University, is satisfied with the development on Earth of Cendrawasih. But there are drawbacks in the field of education. In that sense, Papuans can go to college thanks to the special autonomy program. However, they should also be able to study on campus in Papua, not only in Java. So it is better if a Presidential Decree was created regarding the opening of new departments on the Papua campus.
According to Yane, the departments that are urgent to open are fisheries and agriculture. In that sense, students can learn and become modern farmers. Because he does not only cultivate crops, but also creates agro-business and processes Papua’s crops, such as sago, sweet potatoes, bananas, etc. Meanwhile, fisheries graduates can process fish, and export it, and get more results.
In the field of education, the government has indeed provided funds through special autonomy. as much as 20% of the program’s budget is devoted to scholarships for Papuan sons. So that they can study up to university, not only domestically but also abroad. In addition, this scholarship is also given to those who wish to register to become members of the TNI.
Apart from the education sector, the government is also boosting infrastructure development in Papua. The Youtefe Bridge is not only a display, but facilitates transportation to the border with Papua New Guinea. More and more local tourists are dropping by this red bridge, making tourism in Papua crowded.
The Trans Papua road stretches for more than 4,000 KM making transportation for the population easier. They don’t have to walk through forests or rely on very expensive planes. But it can cross this road safely. Even when it was inaugurated, President Jokowi immediately tested the strength of this road with a dirt bike.
In Papua, stadiums and other venues such as swimming pools are also built for the national sports week. Even though the XX PON has been postponed for a year, this building has been completed and ready to be used at any time. After this event is over, people can use it for exercise as well as refreshing. The selection of Papua to host the PON shows that it is very modern there.
People really appreciate development in Papua, both in the fields of education and infrastructure. They feel happy because President Jokowi pays so much attention to the Cendrawasih Earth region, and is even listed as the head of state who visits Papua the most. The President wants development in the eastern region not to be much different from the western one.
After Papua is built so beautifully, the community is expected to cooperate with the local government by taking care of it. Do not be idle and do vandalism on a recently completed building. In addition, there should not be anyone who prohibits their children from taking the special autonomy scholarship, because it is very useful for their future.
) * The author is a Papuan student living in Jakarta